{"id":345287,"date":"2025-12-13T12:06:40","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T12:06:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/345287\/"},"modified":"2025-12-13T12:06:40","modified_gmt":"2025-12-13T12:06:40","slug":"aussie-sleep-experts-warning-on-popular-health-item-sold-at-chemist-warehouse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/345287\/","title":{"rendered":"Aussie sleep expert’s warning on popular health item sold at Chemist Warehouse"},"content":{"rendered":"

An Aussie sleep expert is sounding the alarm over a popular health trend<\/a> that’s being promoted on social media. There are plenty of “hacks” that go viral on the likes of Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok<\/a> and some of them are supported by evidence, and others certainly lack it.<\/p>\n

Dr Moira Junge is concerned about the people pushing mouth tape. They are little strips that are meant to go over your mouth while you sleep<\/a>, and the Healthylife’s sleep expert and CEO of the Sleep Health Foundation told Yahoo Lifestyle you should think twice before jumping on the bandwagon.<\/p>\n

“It’s not recommended as there’s not a lot of research for it,” she said. “Even if you did have sleep apnea, don’t do it without medical supervision.”<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/p>\n

What is mouth tape and why do people use it?<\/p>\n

You can buy mouth tape at Chemist Warehouse and Woolworths online, as well as other marketplaces like Amazon and Temu.<\/p>\n

They come in different shapes and sizes, with some covering your whole mouth, while others just slip vertically over your top and bottom lip.<\/p>\n

Loads of people on social media claim these strips have a variety of benefits, like reducing snoring, bad breath, and even wild allegations that it can give you a better jawline or reduce your double chin.<\/p>\n

The idea is that if your mouth is shut, you’ll breathe more through your nose and, as a result, you’ll reap all these positive effects.<\/p>\n

Do you have a story? Email stew.perrie@yahooinc.com<\/p>\n

Does mouth taping work?<\/p>\n

Dr Junge has heard stories from people who have tried mouth taping saying that it has “changed their lives”.<\/p>\n

But she said there’s very little proven evidence backing up the health benefits, and even less so about the alleged aesthetic changes.<\/p>\n

“It’s very dangerous that people will think that mouth taping is going to help with being hotter,” she added.<\/p>\n

She told Yahoo Lifestyle there are “some papers” that support the idea of keeping your mouth closed during sleep, but that’s only for people who have “problematic sleep” or “respiratory-related sleep disturbance” issues.<\/p>\n

“It might help a few people,” the sleep expert said.<\/p>\n

“But, in those cases, if it were me or my daughter, or my husband or my friend or an older person, I would like to think that I would like to help get them professional guidance first.”<\/p>\n

\"Attempting<\/p>\n

People worldwide have been promoting the use of mouth tape for improved sleep. Picture: Getty<\/p>\n

What can go wrong during sleep if you are mouth taping?<\/p>\n

Dr Junge is concerned about people, particularly young Aussies, seeing and hearing the hype about mouth taping on social media and thinking it is legit.<\/p>\n

She revealed it can backfire for some people.<\/p>\n

“It sounds safe, and most people will be OK if they try it,” she told Yahoo Lifestyle.<\/p>\n

“But it can cause breathing difficulties, anxiety, feeling like you can’t breathe properly, skin rashes and irritation.”<\/p>\n

Dr Junge said some people might try mouth taping, not realising they have blocked noses. and that can result in a scary experience while you’re trying to wind down for the night.<\/p>\n

A 2022 study<\/a> on the trend found that 10 participants experienced what’s called “mouth puffing”, which occurred because they were still trying to breathe through their mouths after they had been taped shut.<\/p>\n

She urged anyone considering jumping on the bandwagon to speak to their doctor first.<\/p>\n

Don’t believe the TikTok hype about ‘sleep girl mocktails’<\/p>\n

Dr Junge is also concerned from other trends being promoted on social media that claim to help people drift off to sleep.<\/p>\n

They’re called ‘Sleepy girl mocktails’ and they’re regularly seen on TikTok and other platforms.<\/p>\n

The drink usually consists of tart cherry juice, magnesium powder, and a seltzer or lemon-lime soda.<\/p>\n

“So I did some studies looking at magnesium,” she told Yahoo Lifestyle.<\/p>\n

SHOP:<\/p>\n

“It’s not inherently dangerous, but unsupervised in high doses, it could it can be harmful to teens.”<\/p>\n

She said people usually get their daily dose of magnesium through the food they eat each day and taking more than needed can create intestinal issues.<\/p>\n

“It worries me, not only from people being ripped off that they’re doing stuff they don’t need to do, but also, these drinks can be really sugary too, depending on what kind of juices they get,” she said.<\/p>\n

“There’s no scientific proof that I’ve ever seen that the mocktail will meaningfully improve sleep.<\/p>\n

“I would say that for people who swear by it, it would have a very strong placebo effect.”<\/p>\n

Dr Junge reiterated that if you wanted to understand how best to fall asleep, it’s worth speaking to your doctor first before taking any supplements.<\/p>\n

Want the latest lifestyle and entertainment news? Make sure to follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram, <\/a>and TikTok<\/a>. <\/p>\n